[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15360]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 IN HONOR OF COLONEL RONALD A. RUTLAND

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 11, 2007

  Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to recognize the accomplishments and career of Colonel Ronald A. 
Rutland. Colonel Rutland is the commander of the 512th Airlift Wing at 
the Dover Air Force Base. Colonel Rutland is a distinguished member of 
the Reserves Officers Association with more than 6,500 flying hours in 
training, airlift and tanker experience. I commend Colonel Rutland for 
his years of public service defending our Nation.
  Colonel Rutland received a Bachelor Degree of Political Science at 
Mississippi State University in 1973, and in 1977 attended the Squadron 
Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. Colonel Rutland's 
passion for learning never subsided, and in 1988, he went back to 
school to receive his Masters of Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle 
University.
  Colonel Rutland received his undergraduate pilot training at the 
Columbus Air Force Base in 1973. From 1977 until the present, Colonel 
Rutland has served in various areas of command, including Air Training, 
Strategic Air Command, and Air Mobility Command, at six different Air 
Force Bases within the United States. Most recently, Colonel Rutland 
served in Iraq as the commander of the 447th Air Expeditionary Group at 
Sather Air Base.
  Ronald has served as a distinguished member of the United States Air 
Force for 34 years and has been honored on several occasions for his 
service. He has received countless awards such as the Legion of Merit, 
the Bronze Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Air 
Force Longevity Service Award with six oak leaf clusters.
  I join with the people of Delaware to thank Colonel Rutland for his 
continued dedication to the Air Force. He has served in a role that can 
be difficult at times, but is a necessity to the security of our 
Nation. I commend him for a life of service and thank him for his 
tireless dedication to Delaware and the United States of America.

                          ____________________